System for automated monitoring and maintenance of crops including intermediary sensing unit

ABSTRACT

A system for automating the growing of crops, such as grapevines. Combinations of data from sensors local to a vineyard, and from optional remote stations and sensors, is combined with a control system to accurately control the dispensing of water and chemicals such as insecticides, disease prevention fungicides and fertilizers. The materials are dispensed through a multiple channel conduit which allows conflicting, or incompatible, types of materials to be transported through a common assembly. Sensors are attached to the conduit so that the placement of sensors can occur simultaneously with the laying of the conduit. This approach also ensures correct placement and spacing of the sensors with respect to each plant, or plant area, to be monitored and treated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to a system for automated control andmore specifically to a system for monitoring and managing crop growth.

Agriculture has been an important aspect of human existence for manyyears. Improvements in caring for crops, accelerating crop growth,ensuring the quality of crops and providing for a plentiful andefficient harvest have continued to contribute to the enjoyment andimprovement of our population's quality of life.

Important areas for automation of agriculture include irrigation,protection against weather, insects and disease, and providing for plantnutrition. Also, it is important to be able to forecast crop growth andharvests so that the economics of harvesting and distribution can bemore efficient.

One example of a type of crop that has benefited greatly from recenttrends in automated agriculture is the grape which bears fruit used tomake wine. Today's vineyards include different dispensing systems forproviding water to crops for irrigation. Examples of such systems are“drip” or “sprinkler” systems where water is routed among rows of vinesby a tube having emitting holes spaced at regular intervals. The waterflow can be turned on or off manually, or can be automated with a timercontrol, computer, etc. The tubes can be elevated above the ground, orat or below ground level.

While such irrigation systems have proven effective, they do not providea high level of automation. For example, care must be taken to providethe proper amount of water over time to the crops. Also, it is difficultto selectively provide different amounts of water to different plants,or even plant rows or areas. Some growers rely on many sources ofsophisticated information to decide on the times and amounts ofirrigation. The plant sizes, weather conditions and forecasts, soilconditions, etc., must be taken into account. The analysis can beperformed by each grower, independently, or can be provided by a serviceto which growers subscribe to help each grower determine how toirrigate. Although, such systems often do achieve improved irrigation,the irrigation process, overall, requires much human participation andis prone to errors and inefficiencies. For example, just measuring theamount of water dispensed to vines is difficult. Although the amount ofwater injected into the system is easily obtained, it is usually unknownhow much water is actually provided to the vines' roots. Fertilizers andinsecticides are typically applied with the use of machinery such asspraying machines and tractors. The application of these chemicals isboth vital and complicated. Machine spraying of chemicals requires humanaction and judgment. Further, application of the chemicals at the wrongtime, or under the wrong conditions, can result in violation of laws,ineffective application, crop loss, increased expenses, etc. Growersmust be aware of weather and wind conditions so that certain chemicalsdo not become dispersed to neighboring properties and so that thechemicals have their intended effect on the crop being treated. Manychemicals are restricted and their use must be closely monitored tocomply with regulations. The application of chemicals is verylabor-intensive and expensive not only in terms of human labor but alsofor the chemicals, themselves, application methods, fuel used byequipment, etc.

Some rudimentary chemical dispensing systems exist that are similar tothe tube irrigation systems. However, a tube dispensing system can notefficiently handle all of the different chemicals that need to beapplied. This is because some of the chemicals can not be mixed withothers so it is necessary to flush the system with water betweenapplication of different chemicals. As with water irrigation, it isdifficult to determine how much chemical (or other material) is beingdispensed to each vine, row, or even section of vineyard. Further,extensive monitoring, forecasting and other information must be obtainedto perform an analysis and determine the proper time to apply aninsecticide, fungicide, nutrient, etc. Often, today's growers irrigateand apply chemicals without sufficient regard to available weather data,soil moisture status, statistics, analysis and other crucial data. Thiscan result in crop failure, lower quality crops, or inefficiencies ingrowing and harvesting that lead to lower profits and the inability toincrease subsequent crop quality and/or yields.

For example, the majority of fungicide applications are made based ontemperature and humidity information obtained and applied in arudimentary manner by the vineyard operator, or by basic visualinspections of the vineyard on a semi-frequent basis. This technique ofscouting or tracking basic weather data is generally sufficient,however, it can and often does, lead to late application of productsafter disease is present in the vineyard.

Once disease is present, there is less time available for the grower toget protective fungicides applied and there is generally always aresulting decrease in quality of the grapes in the affected areas.Fungicides are applied by the grower to the affected areas by way oftractor mounted or pulled spray equipment which directs fungicide spraysat the vines. Depending on how quickly the disease is progressing, andhow quickly the grower can make an application to all the affectedareas, the results can be quite devastating to both yield and quality.It can also have a significant affect on the maturation process of thegrapes which has an impact on the final quality as well.

The current methods of applying fungicides and insecticides rely on theuse of tractor or trailer mounted application equipment. The spray isdirected at the canopy and the coverage is limited by the water volumeused. The volume used is regulated by the pressure of the spray pump andthe speed that the tractor moves through the vineyard. There is atradeoff between coverage based on water volume and timing to cover theacres to be sprayed. The more water that is used, the better thecoverage but the slower the tractor moves through the vineyard.Therefore, when better coverage is desired, it takes longer to make thenecessary applications. This increases the cost to the grower andcreates more potential for disease development before protectivefungicides can be applied. It also increases exposure to the applicatorsas they spend more time in the vineyard while making the application.This method of application relies on the availability of tractors ingood working order to make the applications. This requires the grower tokeep equipment in good working order at all times and increases riskbased on breakdowns of equipment during critical application timings.

Currently, the cost of making an application of fungicides,insecticides, nutrients, etc., actually exceeds the cost of the productbeing applied. Growers seek to reduce their cost of applications and toensure that applications are made efficiently, effectively, only whennecessary, at the proper time and to the exact extent necessary.

Thus, it is desirable to provide a system that improves upon one or moreof the shortcomings of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a comprehensive system for automating the growingof crops, such as grapevines. Combinations of data from sensors local toa vineyard, and from optional remote stations and sensors, is combinedwith a control system to accurately control the dispensing of water andchemicals such as insecticides, disease prevention materials andfertilizers.

The materials are dispensed through a multiple channel conduit whichallows conflicting, or incompatible, types of materials to betransported through a common assembly. Sensors are attached to theconduit so that the placement of sensors can occur simultaneously withthe laying of the conduit. This approach also ensures correct placementand spacing of the sensors with respect to each plant, or plant area, tobe monitored.

In one embodiment the invention provides a conduit for dispensing two ormore different liquid types to crops. The conduit includes a firstchannel for conveying a first liquid type; a second channel forconveying a second liquid type; and a plurality of outlets spaced atintervals for dispensing both the first and second liquid types, whereineach outlet is used to dispense both the first and second liquid types.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the system of the present invention;

FIG. 2A illustrates a cut-away view of a conduit;

FIG. 2B shows a cutaway view of the conduit of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C shows a common-capillary arrangement;

FIG. 3 shows details of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a first drawing of different types of sensors; and

FIG. 4B is a second drawing of different types of sensors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the system of the present invention. A preferredembodiment of the system is referred to as the “Chemical on Demand”system manufactured and marketed by Terra Spase, Inc.

In FIG. 1, system 100 is used to deliver materials such as chemicals102, 104 and 106; and water 108 to crops 110 via conduit 120. Examplesof chemicals for delivery are fertilizer, insecticides, diseaseprevention fungicides or other treatments, etc. For purposes ofillustration, the invention will be presented in a vineyard application.However, it should be apparent that aspects of the invention can beapplied to many different crops, plants and other scenarios.

Each grapevine plant is illustrated as a circle such as vines 130, 132,134 and 136. Vines are organized into rows such as row 140, 142 and 144.Naturally, there can be any number of vines in a row and any number ofrows. Although modern vineyards follow this row and grid pattern, thepresent invention can be adapted for use with any regular, orderedarrangement of plants. Also, aspects of the invention can be used on asmall scale even where the layout of a vineyard, field, garden, etc., isnot regular, ordered or is otherwise not uniform. However, consistentspacing of plants and rows has advantages in the manufacture, deploymentand operation of conduit emitters and sensors, as discussed, below.

Conduit 120 houses multiple inner channels (not shown). In a preferredembodiment, there are enough channels to handle dispensing of each ofthe different materials (i.e., chemicals and water, as shown, althoughother embodiments can use any number of different materials).Particularly, where two materials are incompatible with each other, suchas calcium and phosphorus solutions, then it is advantageous to maintaineach solution in a separate channel of the conduit so that a sharedchannel will not have to be cleansed, or flushed, before using adifferent incompatible solution. A preferred embodiment of the inventionuses four channels plus the conduit cavity to convey water, fungicides,insecticides, fertilizers, and other materials, as desired. Sincedifferent applications will require different numbers of materials,conduits can be manufactured with appropriate numbers of channels,channel sizes, etc., as discussed below.

FIG. 1 shows outlets, or emitters, from the conduit and channels asblack dots such as emitters 150, 152, 154 and 156. Each emitter can emitany of the materials transferred through channels in the conduit. Eachemitter is present at a regularly spaced interval on the conduit inaccordance with the spacing of the vines, as desired. Typical vinespacing is between 36″ and 96″. As is known in the art, the materialscan be dispensed either above the plants, overhead, on the ground oreven below the ground. The materials, if in liquid form, can be sprayedin addition to being dripped. A preferred embodiment of the inventionuses under vine canopy drippers for nutrient and irrigation dispensingand uses above vine spraying with sprinklers or misters for fungicideand insecticide dispensing as well as water for cooling. The conduithousing the channels is suspended from the existing trellis in thevineyard that is used to support the growing grapevines. Otherembodiments can allow the conduit to be placed on the ground, e.g., nearthe base of the vines; or even to be buried below ground.

Sensors 160, 162, 164 and 166 are attached to the conduit at regularintervals in accordance with the spacing of the vines. In FIG. 1,sensors 160, 162, 164 and 166 are photodetectors for measuring sunlightwhich passes through the grape leaves. The larger the vine canopy, theless sunlight will fall on the photodetectors. Thus, a measure of thevines' growth is indicated by the cumulative signals of thephotodetectors. Other types of sensors can be employed such as leafwetness detectors, temperature, insect indicators (e.g., protein and DNAsensors), etc. Different types of sensors can be used at the same pointor at different points. Since the sensors are attached to the conduit atregular intervals corresponding to the vineyard layout, the deploymentof the sensors is very simple. Also, the regularity of the sensors withrespect to the vineyard layout produces more interpretable results.

Materials are dispensed under control of control system 200 and flowcontrol 202. In a preferred embodiment control system 200 is a computersuch as a personal computer, server, etc. However, any type of controlsystem can be used such as a smaller digital system, analog system,mechanical, etc. Flow control 202 includes valves and flow monitors forletting a predetermined amount of any of the chemicals or water enterthe conduit channels under control of control system 200.

The output signals from sensors is received by sensing unit 204 andrelayed to control system 200. Sensing unit 204 can be, for example, atransducer for converting an analog signal to a digital signal. If thesensors, themselves, are outputing digital information then sensing unit204 can act to multiplex, buffer, or otherwise manipulate or pre-processthe data before sending the data to control system 200. In someembodiments, sensing unit 204 may not be necessary.

External data is received by control system 200 via external datasources 206. Such data sources can include information from localnetworks or wide area networks such as the Internet. Examples ofexternal data include weather data, crop growth models, growing degreedays, ET_(o) and ET_(c)(evapotranspiration coefficients), degree dayinsect models, disease risk models, irrigation requirements, cropnutrition requirements, crop development data, etc. The external datacan come from a remote station, sensor, agency, or other source. Theexternal data can also be generated by software (e.g., modeling,forecasting or analysis programs) that is located locally to the controlsystem or which is remote from the control system. External data can beentered manually by the user or operator of the control system, or canbe received automatically by the control system via a communication linkor network such as the Internet. In general, data processing andacquisition can be performed in any geographic location and used in anymanner known in the art to facilitate the operation of the system of thepresent invention.

Sensor data can be used in sophisticated analysis to control irrigationand application of other chemicals or materials. For example, the systemcan control application of materials according to methods described inacademic papers such as IRRIGATION OF

THOMPSON SEEDLESS TABLE GRAPES: UTILIZATION OF CROP COEFFICIENTSDEVELOPED AT THE KEARNEY CENTER FOR USE AT OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE SANJOAQUIN VALLEY, by Larry E. Williams, Don Luvisi and Michael Costello;published in Viticulture Research Report Volume XXVII, 1998-99,California Table Grape Commission, Fresno, Calif. 93711 which is herebyincorporated by reference as if set forth in full in this document forall purposes. Publicly available data such as athttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/, etc., can be used to provide rules andguidelines for controlling material dispensing according to the systemof the present invention.

Sensor line 220 represents additional sensors that are not affixed toconduit 120. Such additional sensors can be arbitrarily set at any pointin the vineyard, either above or below vines or the ground. Additionalsensors, such as soil nutrient and moisture sensors, may be needed in adifferent location than can be provided by the conduit.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention uses a centralizedcontrol system, other embodiments can use distributed, or dedicated,processing at many points. For example, groups of emitters and sensors,or even each individual emitter and sensor, can have intelligentcontrol. A microprocessor can use input from one or more sensors tocontrol an emitter local to the sensor. This is useful where differentparts of a vineyard need different degrees of irrigation. Some plantsmay be exposed to insects or disease and not others. With morefinely-grained monitoring and control (achievable by either acentralized control system or distributed system) delivery of chemicals,water, and other materials can be made to only the exposed plants. Thus,a savings of chemicals is realized and plants that are not in need oftreatment do not need to be risked by the application of unnecessarytreatment.

Note that the preferred embodiment of the invention allows the conduitto be routed in existing trellis frameworks. Typically, no moving partsare used except for pumps in the flow control which are centrallylocated. In contrast to prior art methods, there is no tradeoff on watervolume when spraying fungicides or insecticides as the amount of waterto be used will be based on the best recommendation for coverage of thecanopy for optimum pesticide performance. Once disease is detected,applications can be made immediately and as often as required.

Applications can be made to as many acres as the grower haspre-established for a given mix tank and pump set-up. Applications willrequire only minimal labor to pre-mix the pesticide and applicatorexposure will be limited to only the mixing and loading operation. Therewill be no variability in the amount of pesticide applied as in theexisting application methods which are based on speed of the tractor andpump pressure. Pre-calibration of the COD system will determine thetiming needed to apply the desired amount of pesticide based on thepre-mix concentration and the total desired water volume. Pump pressurecan be monitored, and if desired, flow control valves can be installedto further refine the actual volume applied. Pressure control valvesinstalled throughout the piping framework will ensure equal applicationvolume for the entire length of the trellis run, even at the furthestends from the mix tank and pump. Using this system, an entire vineyardcan be sprayed in less time that it takes to spray only a small blocktoday with less risk and variability.

Thus, the invention creates value for growers by reducing their cost ofapplications and by reducing risks involved with making sureapplications are made at the right time and in a timely manner.Additionally, growers can realize improvements in yield and quality ofthe high valued fruit. The invention provides more accurate timing ofapplications and better coverage of the vines, resulting in betterdisease management—one of the primary factors of quality and yield.

FIG. 2A illustrates a cut-away view of conduit 120 of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2A, conduit 270 houses four channels 272, 274, 276 and 278.Emitter 280 is representative of emitters mounted onto conduit 270 atregularly-spaced intervals as described, above. Sensor and control cable282 includes wires, fiber optic cables, etc. for communication withsensors, valves and other devices along conduit 270. Cable 282 can befixedly secured along conduit 270, as desired.

Channels 272, 274, 276 and 278 can be used to dispense chemicalsolutions or other materials from the conduit. Additionally, the conduithas cavity 284 that can be used for dispensing water. In a preferredembodiment, each channel is a separate tube that is sealed from theother channels and from the cavity. Other embodiments can form channelsas part of the conduit walls, integral with the conduit construction.Other designs are possible—for example, the cavity need not be used todispense materials.

FIG. 2B shows a cutaway view of conduit 270 of FIG. 2A.

In FIG. 2B, capillary tubes are shown between each channel and emitter280. Emitter 280 includes a valve mechanism that can select materials inany of the channels. Additionally, inlet 290 allows emitter 280 toselect materials (e.g., water) in cavity 284. An emitter can use acomputer-controlled valve-in-head system with multiple valves, asneeded.

Each of the several, or many, emitters on the conduit is independentlycontrollable by the control system of FIG. 1. Thus, each channel, andthe cavity, can be flooded with material to be dispensed and thedispensing can subsequently be controlled by the control system.Alternately, the emitters can be passive, for example, they can besimple through-holes sprinkler heads so that they are always “on” forall dispensing. In this latter case, the flow is controlled by flowcontrol 202 of FIG. 1, under the control of the control system. The flowcontrol will then include a selective pump station for pumping materialsinto selected channels, or the conduit cavity, under the direction ofcontrol system 200. Other variations are possible.

FIG. 2C shows a common-capillary arrangement where a single branchingcapillary is used for all of the channels and cavity. In thisarrangement, the emitter has a single-valve control. Dispensing isaccomplished by both flooding the appropriate channel and thencontrolling the valve to dispense the material. Simple one-way valvesare shown as dark circles. These valves prevent mixing of materialsamong the channels.

Note that many types of conduit can be employed. The conduit need not bea completely enclosed “tube” as shown in FIGS. 2A-C. For example, theconduit can be comprised of bands or straps used at intervals to bundletogether the tubes, or channels. In this case, emitters and sensors canbe affixed to the bands or to one or more of the channel tubes. Theconduit can be a flexible spiral of material within which the channeltubes are held. The conduit can be a tray, or trough, that is open atthe top. Other variations are possible.

In a preferred embodiment, the conduit, channel, emitter and sensorassembly is flexible. This allows the conduit to be bent to follow pathsamong rows, as desired. Other embodiments can provide stiff piping witha means for joining additional pipe sections at different angles toachieve bends.

FIG. 3 shows details of the system of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3, channel terminations 302 are connected to chemical tanks (andwater) via manifold and pump 306. The flow of each chemical iscontrolled by computer 304 in accordance with interface 310. A preferredembodiment allows for many types of control configurations. A user canconfigure dispensing of each chemical at predetermined times and forspecified amounts. Another option is for sensor data to automaticallytrigger dispensation. For example, an optical sensor can help determinethe size of vine leaf area (or other crops) based on the amount of lightthat is blocked so that the amount of chemicals dispensed at differentpoints in time can be increased as the vine leaf area increases. Othersensors can report on the amount of rain, temperature and humidity, soilmoisture conditions, etc., so that delivery of nutrients and water canbe adjusted accordingly.

A software program that is automating the system by receiving andresponding to the various sensor and control inputs can be residentlocally to computer 304. This software can be configured and updatedfrom a manufacturer or supplier. Alternatively, computer 304 can becontrolled via the Internet, or other network or communication link, bya remote source, such as a service supplier. The system can becompletely monitored by the service supplier. Monitoring of the entiresystem allows a service supplier to provide additional benefits to thegrower such as automatically ordering chemical supplies, using advanceddata and statistics such as satellite imagery, ground and satelliteweather data, and environmental reports, ensuring that the system isfunctioning properly, etc.

In FIG. 3, conduit 300 includes emitter sensors on both the top andbottom of the conduit. Each emitter need not be connected to all of thechannels. In a preferred embodiment, fungicides, insecticides and growthregulators are dispensed through emitters on the top of the conduitwhile fertilizer and water are dispensed from the bottom emitters.Naturally, other arrangements are possible. Sensors are positioned alongthe top of the conduit but can also be positioned anywhere on theconduit, or on additional sensor lines that are not part of the conduit.

FIGS. 4A and B illustrate some of the different types of sensors thatare appropriate for use with the present invention.

In FIG. 4A light, temperature, relative humidity, insect, and leafmoisture detecting sensors are present. Light sensors allow the canopysize or leaf area to be determined by detecting the amount of shadegenerated under the plant's growing leaves. Light sensors can also beused to determine how much sunlight the plants are obtaining (assumingthe sensors are moved away from the plant shade). Insect detectorsinclude sticky traps, pheromone detectors and DNA sensitive analysistools. Leaf wetness detectors simulate the absorbency of leafs so thatmoisture on the surface of the detector approximates plant leaf wetness.

FIG. 4B shows additional sensors as an infrared light transmitter anddetector for sensing plant nutrition and health deficiencies dependingon the amount of transmitted or absorbed infrared light. Sugaraccumulation in grape bunches can be determined by connecting selectedbunches of grapes to pH probes or other instruments capable of measuringsoluble solids (Brix) in grape berries.

By using the system of the present invention, efficiencies not possiblein the prior art can be realized. The control system can accuratelymeasure the pressure and volume of delivery of water and chemicals. Thedelivery of materials can be more precisely directed to where it isneeded. The delivery is also performed as needed so care of the crops ismore accurate and effective and there is less waste. No humanintervention is necessary. Heavy mechanical devices are eliminated at aconcomitant savings in fuel and maintenance costs.

Insecticides can be applied based on measurements of remote sensor data,from regional or national agencies, from local sensors, etc. This allowsnewly found research data on bug lifecycles and behavior to be used ingrowing practice almost immediately. Wind and weather sensors can beused to prevent dispensing of harmful chemicals when a chance ofunwanted high dispersion is likely. Should a high wind come up duringapplication of chemicals, the application can be immediately stopped andthe dosage continued at a later time. Preventative chemicals can beapplied to the crops when the “disease pressure” is high.

Crop growth rate can be accurately measured and used in application ofall types of materials. Accurate projections and forecasting can be madefrom the detailed sensing of all aspects of crop growth and maintenance.Alarms can be triggered when urgent conditions are detected, such asinsect infestations or disease. Risk evaluations can be computed basedon sensor detections. Such projections and evaluations are useful forgrowers to profitably manage their operations.

Although the invention has been discussed with respect to specificembodiments thereof, these embodiments are merely illustrative, and notrestrictive, of the invention.

For example, although the invention has been discussed primarily withrespect to grapevine growing, it should be apparent that aspects of theinvention can be used to advantage with any type of crop, flower, tree,fungus, or other type of plant. In general, the present invention can beused to advantage to monitor, manage and maintain a system of any typeof developing entities that can benefit from controlled dispensing ofmaterials. For example, features of the present invention may be appliedto feeding and disinfecting livestock. Other applications will beapparent.

Although the materials dispensed by the present invention have beenpresented as primarily liquids, it should be apparent that both solidand gas material dispensing can benefit from aspects of the presentinvention.

Thus, the scope of the invention is to be determined solely by theappended claims.

1-22. (canceled)
 23. A system for application of a material to aplurality of plants, the system comprising: a plurality of sensors,wherein each sensor is associated with, and in fixed proximity to, oneof the plants; a sensing unit for receiving one or more signals from thesensors; a control system coupled to the sensing unit for receiving atleast one relayed signal from the sensing unit derived from the one ormore signals from the sensors ; emitters for emitting the material to aplant, wherein each emitter is associated with, and in fixed proximityto, one of the plants; and a control system for controlling emission ofthe material to a particular plant via the particular plant's associatedemitter in response to a signal from the particular plant's associatedsensor.
 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the sensing unit comprises:A transducer for converting an analog signal to a digital signal. 25.The system of claim 23, wherein the sensing unit multiplexes the one ormore signals from the sensors.
 26. The system of claim 23, wherein thesensing unit buffers the one or more signals from the sensors.
 27. Thesystem of claim 23, wherein the sensing unit pre-processes data derivedfrom the one or more signals from the sensors and sends at least aportion of the derived data to the control system.